5. Conclusion

The GROOVES study has improved our knowledge of green roofs, both in terms of their contribution to hosting biodiversity and the benefits they are likely to bring to the urban environment. The results confirm that talking about the "benefits of green roofs" in a generic way is not sufficiently informative, given the diversity of design and management methods that influence their ecology. Thanks to a sample covering this diversity and the implementation of specific protocols, this study offers us a more accurate view of the performances usually attributed to green roofs. Rainwater retention, air cooling and carbon storage are all services taken for granted by designers, whose effectiveness is in reality far from universal.

This study confirms that green roofs are attractive for urban biodiversity and can become complementary or even substitute habitats for ground-based...